How to cook your way through butternut squash

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Wild Mushroom Couscous with Shrimp in San Francisco, Calif., on February 17, 2010. Food styled by Pailin Chongchitnant.

Wild Mushroom Couscous with Shrimp in San Francisco, Calif., on February 17, 2010. Food styled by Pailin Chongchitnant.

Photo: Craig Lee, Special To The Chronicle

Photo: Craig Lee, Special To The Chronicle

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Wild Mushroom Couscous with Shrimp in San Francisco, Calif., on February 17, 2010. Food styled by Pailin Chongchitnant.

Wild Mushroom Couscous with Shrimp in San Francisco, Calif., on February 17, 2010. Food styled by Pailin Chongchitnant.

Photo: Craig Lee, Special To The Chronicle

How to cook your way through butternut squash

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I often buy winter squash, then find myself gazing at its pretty shape on the counter for weeks and weeks before I get around to cooking it. It always seems daunting to either peel it, which can break the sturdiest vegetable peeler, or to maneuver a huge knife through its center to split and roast it.

Then you need to decide what to do with it - if you don't make a soup, you'll have a whole lot of cooked squash to contend with.

I decided to take a new tack on the butternut squash collecting dust in my kitchen. I set aside the seed-filled round part, which makes up about one-third of the weight of a mature gourd, and cut the long, seedless neck into unpeeled 1/2-inch slabs. I oiled a baking pan, tossed the "steaks" with the oil, then sprinkled them with a spice mixture. This took all of 10 minutes. I put the pan in the bottom (or whichever part of your oven is hottest) of a 425-degree oven. When they had browned, I flipped them over to finish cooking.

The first time I used more brown sugar, which made the squash a little too sweet but caramelized. The second batch, with less sugar, didn't brown as much as I would have liked. It also came from a different squash, and I suspect the vegetables can vary in water content - less water means better browning.

There's no way of guessing this from the outset; if you're not getting crispy edges, you just have to increase the temperature, or cook them a bit longer and settle for slightly softer squash.

I like to think of the squash as a "meat" you can use in many guises. Tuck the slices into tortillas for a version of the vegan tacos at the new Mission District restaurant Gracias Madre, or place them on dressed greens and crumbled goat cheese for a main-course salad. Pair them with polenta, gooey with Parmesan, or chop them up for a pasta tossed in sauteed winter greens. Just make sure to remove the loose peels first.

The sweet richness of the squash was perfect with earthy, fluffy wild mushroom couscous, which you can also pair with the spiced shrimp in the accompanying recipe. Squash plus couscous may seem like starch overload, but the toasted nuts add some protein and textural contrast.

As for the remainder of the squash that I didn't use in the steaks, I wrapped it up. A few days later, I scooped out the seeds and sliced it thin to roast, and we ate it with sausages. All of a sudden, that huge squash didn't seem so daunting.

Spiced Butternut Squash "Steaks"

Sunday Supper: Main Course in 45 minutes

Serves 4

Cutting the narrow part of a butternut squash into thick, unpeeled slabs makes it easy to get into the oven within 10 minutes. Using just a little sugar in the spice mixture heightens the sweetness of the squash and helps it brown. For a vegetable-based meal, serve with the Wild Mushroom Couscous (see recipe), which you can prepare while the squash roasts. The squash and nuts are also delicious on top of dressed salad greens with fresh goat cheese. Reheat any leftover squash in a nonstick pan over medium heat until crisp, 3 minutes per side.

2 pounds narrow portion of large (3-pound) butternut squash, unpeeled (from the neck or the part that doesn't have seeds)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts or almonds

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425° and arrange a rack on the bottom or in a very hot part of the oven. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Slice the butternut squash into 9 or 10 even rounds, between 1/4- and 1/2-inch thick. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, salt, coriander, cinnamon, brown sugar and pepper.

Coat the pan with the oil, distributing it evenly with your fingers or a slice of squash. Place the rounds on the oil, swirling them around, then flip them over. Sprinkle the top side of each piece liberally with the seasoning mix, saving some mix for the other side. Place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven and roast until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure the squash isn't burning.

Flip the pieces over and sprinkle lightly with the spice mix (you will have some leftover). Make room on the pan and add the walnuts or almonds. Cook until the nuts are toasted and the squash is completely cooked, about 8 minutes (you may need to leave the squash in a few minutes longer than the nuts).

Coarsely chop the nuts. Serve the squash hot, garnished with the nuts.

Wine pairing: The mix of sweet and spice in this dish calls for a medium-bodied red with lots of ripe fruit, such as the 2007 Baileyanna Grand Firepeak Cuvee Edna Valley Pinot Noir ($33).

Wild Mushroom Couscous With Shrimp (or Squash)

Fast&Fresh: Dinner in 30 Minutes

Serves 4

The couscous goes well with spiced shrimp, as in the recipe below, or just with pan-seared chicken or steak - see the column for tips. For a quick vegetarian meal, serve the couscous with tofu or the leftover Spiced Butternut Squash "Steaks" (see recipe). If you made the squash already, you can use the leftover spice mix on the shrimp (or chicken or steak) instead of what's called for in the recipe.

Couscous:

1/4 ounce dried wild mushrooms, such as porcini (see Note)

1 cup whole wheat or plain instant couscous

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 tablespoon butter or extra virgin olive oil

Shrimp:

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon chile flakes

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds shell-on or peeled medium shrimp, deveined (see Note)

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

-- Lemon wedges to garnish

To make the couscous: Place 2 cups of water in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the mushrooms, make sure they're submerged, and simmer gently until softened, 10 minutes. (While you're waiting you can chop the chives and toss the shrimp in the spices.)Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon; set aside. Strain the liquid through a large coffee filter to remove grit; reserve the liquid and rinse out the saucepan.

Measure the liquid and return 1 1/4 cups to the saucepan. Return it to a boil, then add the couscous and salt. Remove from the heat and let steam for 5 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the mushrooms finely (and cook the shrimp; see instructions).

When the couscous is ready, fluff with a fork and transfer into a mixing bowl. Toss in the mushrooms, chives and butter or olive oil.

To make the shrimp: Combine the paprika, chile flakes, salt and pepper. Coat the shrimp in the spice mixture.

Heat a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat, and warm enough oil to coat the bottom until shimmering. Add the shrimp in one layer - you may need to do this in batches. Let the shrimp sear on one side for 2 minutes. Toss and turn, searing the other side, until pink and no longer translucent, about 1 to 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately with the couscous, with lemon wedges on the side.

Note: Dried mushrooms are often sold in 1/2-ounce packages, and half of that, or about 1/3 cup loosely packed, is plenty for this recipe. American wild or farmed shrimp are the best choice; shrimp from Asia most often come from environmentally destructive farms.